Ọrunmila (Yoruba Ọ̀rúnmìlà, also Ọrúnla[1] or Orúla in Nigeria and Latin America) is an Orisha. He is the Orisha of wisdom, knowledge, and divination. This source of knowledge is believed to have a keen understanding of the human form and of purity, and is therefore praised as often being more effective than other remedies. [2][3][4]

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Orunmila is recognized as a primordial Irunmole (an Orisha that has a hand in the creation of the Universe) that was present both at the beginning of Creation and then again amongst humanity as a priest that taught an advanced form of spiritual knowledge and ethics during visits to earth in physical form or through his disciples. Orunmila is the spirit of wisdom among the Irunmole and the divinity of destiny and prophecy. He is praise named "Igbakeji Olodumare" (second in command to Olodumare) and "eleri ipin" (witness of fate). It was also Orunmila who carried Ifá (the wisdom of Olodumare) to Earth.[3] Priests of Ifá are known as babalawos and Priestesses of Ifá are known as iyanifas.[4]

Orunmila is considered a sage, recognizing that Olodumare placed Ori (intuitive knowledge) in him as a primeOrisha. It is Ori who can intercede and affect the reality of a person much more than any other Orisha.[2][3][4]

Awo in every tradition study the 256 Odu; each Odu is traditionally considered to include stories and prayers that have been passed down from the time that Orunmila walked the Earth as a prophet.[2][5][6]

Some initiatory lineages have only male priests of Orunmila, while other lineages include female priestesses. The term "Awo" is a gender-neutral title for an initiated priest of Orunmila. The debate surrounding gender is a result of diversity in the history of Ifá in various locations. In Latin America and some areas of West Africa, only men may become full priests of Orunmila, while in other regions of West Africa the priesthood is open to women. Ifá practitioners believe in duality in life: males exist because of the female essence and females exist because of the male essence, so every major rite or ceremony includes both genders.[7]

Every Ifá stanza has one portion dedicated to the issue of teaching the Iwa that Ifá supports. This Iwa, which Ifá teaches transcends religious doctrine, is central to every human being, and imparts communal, social and civic responsibility that Olodumare supports. Of great importance to this is the theme of righteousness and practicing good moral behavior.[8]